The Chevrolet Bolt is now one of the world's best-selling plug-based vehicles, and GM has more coming.
Motorists around the world are showing signs they’re getting charged up by a new wave of plug-based vehicles, global sales passing 1 million for the first time ever in 2017, and U.S. demand setting a new record during the final month of the year.
Though still making up only a small fraction of worldwide motor vehicles sold last year, demand for plug-in hybrid and pure battery-electric vehicles, or PHEVs and BEVs, has been rising rapidly, according to a new report from Navigant Research. A variety of reasons get credit, including declining prices and the availability of more products, especially longer-range models like the Chevrolet Bolt EV, Tesla Model 3 and second-generation Nissan Leaf. Rising oil prices are also playing a factor.
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“Battery costs have shrunk dramatically in the last five years and promise to shrink further with the commercialization of solid-state batteries on the horizon,” says Scott Shepard, a senior research analyst with Navigant. “In addition, increasing regulatory pressure in Europe and China may well push the PEV (or plug-based vehicle) market to the aggressive end of the forecast range regardless of oil prices.”